Down But Not Out

As most of you know, a couple of weeks ago we concluded our Kickstarter campaign without hitting the goal. We know how many of you wanted to see the Ember become a reality and we’re so thankful for all our backers. We’re bummed, and it’s a setback, but there was nothing like pursuing something we’re incredibly passionate about; helping people take better photos.

The good news? We’re not giving up. We’re looking at this as an opportunity to make the Ember even better. We’ll be working to make the Ember brighter, easier to operate, and more portable.

We prepared for any eventuality, and now that the campaign has ended without hitting the goal, we’re exploring more traditional routes to get the Ember into your hands. Like us on Facebook to be notified as soon as the Ember is available for pre-order.

Although hitting our Kickstarter goal is a setback, it’s hardly the end. We know you’ll love having one of your own, and we can’t wait to show you what’s coming next for the Ember!

Thank you for believing in our campaign!

Jedd and the Ember Team

 

Velocity

I’ve admired the work of stillmotion for many years and the quality of their work has been a standard that’s challenged filmmakers and event videographers to improve in their craft. When I heard they were having a contest with a grand prize to join them on a shoot, I knew I had to enter. However, I was spending the weekend in Tahoe for a wedding shoot, leaving me less than two days to plan, shoot, and edit the contest video.

Through a friend, I knew that Tom was building his own airplane, and the story seemed like the perfect match for the requirements of the contest. Little did I know that he was building not just any airplane, but a Velocity XL 5; an experimental home-built aircraft that looks nothing like your average Cessna. Growing up, I always wanted to be a pilot, so this was a really fun experience for me to geek out over aviation technology. Not only was the plane impressive, but Tom ended up being awesome to interview and film. He has a great sense of humor and I love his passion and his excitement for building his own aircraft. He was a great sport about filming and I had a blast making this video with him.

This was a really unique challenge to shoot and edit in about 24 hours, and the video barely made the submission deadline. But I had a blast within the constraints of the contest; a 2-minute time limit, use of natural recorded audio throughout, and the incorporation of a soundtrack chosen by the stillmotion team. Even the small steps in improving in our craft count. As stillmotion says, “The most important step is your next one.” Really glad they hosted this, and I hope you enjoy the short video I put together.

See all the contest submissions here.

Visual Effects and the (Re)Creation of Memories

Although I wasn’t around yet to see the Apollo launches, astronomy and space exploration were a defining part of my childhood. I saved up for my first telescope when I was 7 years old, built countless model rockets out of parts from the recycling bin, and one summer my parents were awesome enough to even send me to Space Camp. So when Apollo 13 came out when I was 9 years old, I can’t count the number of times I re-watched it on VHS. The spectacle of that launch and mission stuck with me to the extent that I feel as if I were a part of the space race generation. Movies have that power — to implant a sense of nostalgia for something we couldn’t experience first-hand.

This TED talk by visual effects supervisor Rob Legato explores that nostalgia as he talks about re-creating the Saturn 5 launch by focusing on the aspects of the launch that were part of our collective memories. Instead of focusing on archival footage and matching the launch shot-for-shot, he instead tried to re-create that generation’s memory of the launch. As he explains, it’s actually an important distinction.

Of course, I can’t post about space exploration without acknowledging the passing of one of the greatest men of the past century. Neil, we are in debt to your contributions. His footprints inspired the imaginations of generations and serve as a reminder of mankind’s ability to accomplish the impossible; his small step was the first in an ongoing journey to explore new worlds.